The holidays are my favorite time of the year, and not just because we don't have to go to work/school.
Thanksgiving reminds us that we live in the best country in the world, and that God has blessed with many things people in other countries only dream about.
Christmas reminds us that the God who created the universe loved us so much that He sent his Son to an old stable to born...so that he could live a sinless life, and die for our sins.
Christmas is about love, hope, peace, and joy. The love God showed us, the hope we have in salvation, the peace in the midst of trouble, and the joy of family and friends.
Not to mention all the wonderful food, desserts, and cookies that we only make during the holidays!
I am blessed with a wonderful family, the most awesome friends, a good church, good health, and a job I actually like. What more could a girl ask for?
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Pg 165-193 Formal Assessment: Individualized Assessment
This is the chapter that I presented in class. If you need me to write a summary, let me know.
Pg 131-161 Informal Assessment
Informal Assessments described in this chapter “used primarily to determine whether students have mastered certain skills or performing at specified levels on various types of reading tasks” (p. 132).
This information provides valuable information for instructional decisions regarding the effectiveness of instruction or intervention.
Assessment Continuum
Informal (teacher created) to Formal (norm referenced)
Reliability & Validity
Reliability refers to the consistency of the test scores, and is measured from 0 to 1. The higher the reliability rating, the better the quality of the test.
Inter rater reliability refers to the scores assigned to an assessment by multiple scorers (such as TAKS Writing Prompt).
Validity refers to the “extent to which the test assesses what it was designed to assess (p. 134).
Content validity refers to the extent to which a test assesses the content that is being tested. For example a district would list the TEKS assessed on a benchmark to identify targeted skills.
Construct validity refers to the tests ability to assess a particular skill, and is measured with a correlation coefficient.
Treatment validity refers to the extent to which a test provides treatment or instructional information. Does the assessment monitor progress or demonstrate growth after instruction?
Criterion Referenced Assessment
These tests measure specific skills within a domain and are often used to determine PLOP (present levels of performance) and IEP goals and objectives. The initial assessment provides a baseline, and progress can be monitored with additional administrations.
Brigance Inventories
Brigance Diagnostic Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised
Progress Monitoring
Special Education and RTI require that student progress and response to treatment be documented through Curriculum Based Measures (CBMs) or other criterion referenced materials.
Slope is an important feature of progress monitoring. Student performance scores are plotted on a graph and compared with the class mean or other predetermined levels of performance, such as wcpm at the end of 1st grade.
AIMSweb: Provides a system of assessment and progress monitoring.
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills): assess reading skills of students in grades k-6 and is aligned with the NRP targeted domains
Some experts have questioned the reliability and validity of DIBELS.
Some have also criticized DIBELS because assessments are timed which may lead to an overemphasis on rate and fluency.
Computer Based Assessment of Reading
Total Reader: can be used throughout school years; aligned to lexile scores;
STAR Reading: measures vocabulary and comprehension
DORA (Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment): grade level equivalent scores; measures graphophonics, high frequency words, word recognition, phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, semantics, and reading comprehension
Lexiles: a measure that is used to describe reading ability; scores range from 200-1,700; helps match ability level with appropriate level text; many basal and trade books use lexile scores;
This information provides valuable information for instructional decisions regarding the effectiveness of instruction or intervention.
Assessment Continuum
Informal (teacher created) to Formal (norm referenced)
Reliability & Validity
Reliability refers to the consistency of the test scores, and is measured from 0 to 1. The higher the reliability rating, the better the quality of the test.
Inter rater reliability refers to the scores assigned to an assessment by multiple scorers (such as TAKS Writing Prompt).
Validity refers to the “extent to which the test assesses what it was designed to assess (p. 134).
Content validity refers to the extent to which a test assesses the content that is being tested. For example a district would list the TEKS assessed on a benchmark to identify targeted skills.
Construct validity refers to the tests ability to assess a particular skill, and is measured with a correlation coefficient.
Treatment validity refers to the extent to which a test provides treatment or instructional information. Does the assessment monitor progress or demonstrate growth after instruction?
Criterion Referenced Assessment
These tests measure specific skills within a domain and are often used to determine PLOP (present levels of performance) and IEP goals and objectives. The initial assessment provides a baseline, and progress can be monitored with additional administrations.
Brigance Inventories
Brigance Diagnostic Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised
Progress Monitoring
Special Education and RTI require that student progress and response to treatment be documented through Curriculum Based Measures (CBMs) or other criterion referenced materials.
Slope is an important feature of progress monitoring. Student performance scores are plotted on a graph and compared with the class mean or other predetermined levels of performance, such as wcpm at the end of 1st grade.
AIMSweb: Provides a system of assessment and progress monitoring.
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills): assess reading skills of students in grades k-6 and is aligned with the NRP targeted domains
Some experts have questioned the reliability and validity of DIBELS.
Some have also criticized DIBELS because assessments are timed which may lead to an overemphasis on rate and fluency.
Computer Based Assessment of Reading
Total Reader: can be used throughout school years; aligned to lexile scores;
STAR Reading: measures vocabulary and comprehension
DORA (Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment): grade level equivalent scores; measures graphophonics, high frequency words, word recognition, phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, semantics, and reading comprehension
Lexiles: a measure that is used to describe reading ability; scores range from 200-1,700; helps match ability level with appropriate level text; many basal and trade books use lexile scores;
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Pg 102-126
Running Records
First described by Clay in 1993
A student reads aloud from any source; the teacher documents the errors and self corrections; a reading level is determined. A running record assesses word recognition, word decoding skills, and reading fluency.
Easy: 95-100% accuracy
Instructional: 90-94% accuracy
Hard: 80-89% accuracy
Advantages of Running Records
Text difficulty evaluation
Instructional grouping decisions
Progress monitoring
Error Analyses
Was the error related to syntax, semantics, or graphophonic/orthography?
Curriculum Based Assessment
Teacher made assessments usually given at the end of a unit that assesses specific skills to determine mastery.
They can be used to asses reading fluency by measuring rate and accuracy.
A CBM assesses a particular skill and used to monitor progress/development of that skill over time; they can be used to compare student progress to class norms
Portfolio Assessment
Samples of various types of informal assessments (work samples, drawings, reflections, etc) that demonstrate skill progress and achievement over time. These samples are usually graded holistically or with a rubric.
To add to its authenticity, students should be able to select samples and have input into the grading criteria.
They can be sued to document progress in all areas of reading.
Readability
Readability is determined by word difficulty, sentence complexity, and paragraph length.
Common Readability/Grade Equivalent Scores
Dale-Chall
Fry (count the average number of syllables in a word and the number of words in a sentence)
Flesch
Harris-Jacobson
SMOG (count 10 sentences from the beginning, middle, and end; count every word of 3 syllables or more; calculate the square root of the number of polysyllabic words counted; add 3 to the square root or 1 as suggested by Harris)
Spache
Flesch Kincaid (used by Microsoft Word to determine readability)
Leveled Texts
Fountas & Pinnell leveling system
Reading Recovery books are rated from A to Z
DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment)
These systems are helpful so that the ability of the reader matches the difficulty level of the text.
5 Finger Rule (ask a child to read a page, counting each error; 5 or more errors means the book is too difficult)
90% Rule-if a child can read 90% of a 100 word sample, the text is at an appropriate level
Matching ability level to difficulty level of text is an important factor in a child’s motivation to read.
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of Young Children
McGill-Franzen Schedule for Kindergarten Literacy Assessment
-measures 8 critical skills that must be acquired in kindergarten through observations at the beginning, middle, and end of year
Letter sound association
Phonological awareness
Print concepts
Phonemic segmentations and representation
Word reading
Word writing
Text reading
Text writing
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of Adult Learners
Put reader at easy to reduce sensitivity
Purposes for Adult Assessment
-identify goals, strengths, and weaknesses
-progress monitoring
-chart learning over time
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of English Language Learners
4 Kinds of ELL
-new with limited school experiences
-new with formal school experiences
-dual language exposure
-long term
Teachers need to assess:
-language use
-knowledge
-experiences
-narrative
-relationships
-Aesthetics and ethics
First described by Clay in 1993
A student reads aloud from any source; the teacher documents the errors and self corrections; a reading level is determined. A running record assesses word recognition, word decoding skills, and reading fluency.
Easy: 95-100% accuracy
Instructional: 90-94% accuracy
Hard: 80-89% accuracy
Advantages of Running Records
Text difficulty evaluation
Instructional grouping decisions
Progress monitoring
Error Analyses
Was the error related to syntax, semantics, or graphophonic/orthography?
Curriculum Based Assessment
Teacher made assessments usually given at the end of a unit that assesses specific skills to determine mastery.
They can be used to asses reading fluency by measuring rate and accuracy.
A CBM assesses a particular skill and used to monitor progress/development of that skill over time; they can be used to compare student progress to class norms
Portfolio Assessment
Samples of various types of informal assessments (work samples, drawings, reflections, etc) that demonstrate skill progress and achievement over time. These samples are usually graded holistically or with a rubric.
To add to its authenticity, students should be able to select samples and have input into the grading criteria.
They can be sued to document progress in all areas of reading.
Readability
Readability is determined by word difficulty, sentence complexity, and paragraph length.
Common Readability/Grade Equivalent Scores
Dale-Chall
Fry (count the average number of syllables in a word and the number of words in a sentence)
Flesch
Harris-Jacobson
SMOG (count 10 sentences from the beginning, middle, and end; count every word of 3 syllables or more; calculate the square root of the number of polysyllabic words counted; add 3 to the square root or 1 as suggested by Harris)
Spache
Flesch Kincaid (used by Microsoft Word to determine readability)
Leveled Texts
Fountas & Pinnell leveling system
Reading Recovery books are rated from A to Z
DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment)
These systems are helpful so that the ability of the reader matches the difficulty level of the text.
5 Finger Rule (ask a child to read a page, counting each error; 5 or more errors means the book is too difficult)
90% Rule-if a child can read 90% of a 100 word sample, the text is at an appropriate level
Matching ability level to difficulty level of text is an important factor in a child’s motivation to read.
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of Young Children
McGill-Franzen Schedule for Kindergarten Literacy Assessment
-measures 8 critical skills that must be acquired in kindergarten through observations at the beginning, middle, and end of year
Letter sound association
Phonological awareness
Print concepts
Phonemic segmentations and representation
Word reading
Word writing
Text reading
Text writing
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of Adult Learners
Put reader at easy to reduce sensitivity
Purposes for Adult Assessment
-identify goals, strengths, and weaknesses
-progress monitoring
-chart learning over time
Special Considerations in the Informal Assessment of English Language Learners
4 Kinds of ELL
-new with limited school experiences
-new with formal school experiences
-dual language exposure
-long term
Teachers need to assess:
-language use
-knowledge
-experiences
-narrative
-relationships
-Aesthetics and ethics
Pg 69-102 Informal Assessment
Pg 69-102 Informal Assessment
Informal Assessments are criterion referenced and measure a specific skill and are usually teacher created.
Observation & Interview
Most common type of classroom assessment
Modified Concepts about Print Test measures the literacy skills of beginning readers
Teacher Made & Teacher Selected Curriculum Related Assessment
Basal Reading Series assessment materials may evaluate phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension
Advantages: selected and developed skill strands, controlled text difficulty, suggestions for material use, and “built in assessment strategies
Disadvantages: limited range and variability of the literature
Specific Skills Assessments
San Diego Quick Assessment-word recognition ages 5-16
Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation
Reading Teacher’s Survival Kit
Alternative Assessment Techniques for Reading & Writing
Rasinski & Padak assessments
Error Analysis
“determining patterns or reasons for student errors” (p. 80)
Task analysis a key component of error analysis that helps determine where the child is having difficulty. Task analysis is identifying the discrete concrete steps or prerequisite skills that necessary to master a skill. If a child is reading laboriously, can the teacher determine the cause or lacking skill that needs to be addressed?
Informal Reading Inventories (IRI)
A specific and comprehensive assessment that usually includes a graded word list, and texts that assess oral and silent reading comprehension.
Measures rate and accuracy through miscue analysis
The primary purpose of an IRI is to “inform instruction, plan for grouping, and identify skills to target” (p. 82).
Qualitative Reading Inventory-4
Students are first assessed by a word list that will determine their level and fluency at that level (independent, instructional, or frustrational). Students are then asked to read a text aloud and are asked comprehension questions.
IRIs are quantitative (reading level, word recognition, and comprehension scores) and qualitative (evaluation of types of miscues, retelling of the story).
Most common miscues are: omission, insertion, substitution, reversal, helper supplied word, repetition, lack of prosody, hesitation, mispronunciation, and self correction.
Informal Assessments are criterion referenced and measure a specific skill and are usually teacher created.
Observation & Interview
Most common type of classroom assessment
Modified Concepts about Print Test measures the literacy skills of beginning readers
Teacher Made & Teacher Selected Curriculum Related Assessment
Basal Reading Series assessment materials may evaluate phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension
Advantages: selected and developed skill strands, controlled text difficulty, suggestions for material use, and “built in assessment strategies
Disadvantages: limited range and variability of the literature
Specific Skills Assessments
San Diego Quick Assessment-word recognition ages 5-16
Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation
Reading Teacher’s Survival Kit
Alternative Assessment Techniques for Reading & Writing
Rasinski & Padak assessments
Error Analysis
“determining patterns or reasons for student errors” (p. 80)
Task analysis a key component of error analysis that helps determine where the child is having difficulty. Task analysis is identifying the discrete concrete steps or prerequisite skills that necessary to master a skill. If a child is reading laboriously, can the teacher determine the cause or lacking skill that needs to be addressed?
Informal Reading Inventories (IRI)
A specific and comprehensive assessment that usually includes a graded word list, and texts that assess oral and silent reading comprehension.
Measures rate and accuracy through miscue analysis
The primary purpose of an IRI is to “inform instruction, plan for grouping, and identify skills to target” (p. 82).
Qualitative Reading Inventory-4
Students are first assessed by a word list that will determine their level and fluency at that level (independent, instructional, or frustrational). Students are then asked to read a text aloud and are asked comprehension questions.
IRIs are quantitative (reading level, word recognition, and comprehension scores) and qualitative (evaluation of types of miscues, retelling of the story).
Most common miscues are: omission, insertion, substitution, reversal, helper supplied word, repetition, lack of prosody, hesitation, mispronunciation, and self correction.
Pg 57-67
How Do We Know Whether a Student has a Reading Disability?
If a student fails to respond to quality instruction and interventions, they may be referred to special education for a full and individual evaluation to determine if there is a learning disability.
LD is the most prevalent of the 13 special education disability categories, and was typically measured as a discrepancy between IQ and achievement. However, this method of identification is no longer the primary source for a determination of disability. States can also use RTI to determine a LD.
The book lists 7 LD categories including basic reading and reading comprehension, but reading fluency was also added with the reauthorization.
The authors define a learning disability as “a pattern of intra-individual strengths and weaknesses” (p. 59).
The authors discuss the attributes of dyslexia-difficulty with word recognition usually accompanied by poor spelling, that are the result of weak phonological processing skills-despite average or above average intelligence and ability.
Note: in Texas, dyslexia is serviced under 504 and not special education
How Do We Distinguish ELL Challenges from Disabilities?
ELL are the fastest growing population in the US, and schools are accountable for their progress under NCLB. Teachers need to understand that ELL difficulties may be the result of the non-native language and not a learning disability. If an ELL is suspected of having a LD, the full and individual evaluation must include the native language, and rule out language factors.
Best practices are discussed-such as native language performance, comparing performance to similar ELLs, the students BICS and CALP, verbal vs non verbal tasks, and response to instruction.
Low Literacy Adults
Non-native English speakers make up a large portion on low literacy adults.
Estimates show that 11 million adults in the US are non literate.
The Literacy Instruction Pie
Effective teachers know how to use data to make instructional decisions.
Reading instruction should include:
Word Analysis
Fluency
Reading/Writing Connection
Vocabulary
Comprehension
The amount of time and complexity of task will vary depending on the grade or ability level of the learner.
If a student fails to respond to quality instruction and interventions, they may be referred to special education for a full and individual evaluation to determine if there is a learning disability.
LD is the most prevalent of the 13 special education disability categories, and was typically measured as a discrepancy between IQ and achievement. However, this method of identification is no longer the primary source for a determination of disability. States can also use RTI to determine a LD.
The book lists 7 LD categories including basic reading and reading comprehension, but reading fluency was also added with the reauthorization.
The authors define a learning disability as “a pattern of intra-individual strengths and weaknesses” (p. 59).
The authors discuss the attributes of dyslexia-difficulty with word recognition usually accompanied by poor spelling, that are the result of weak phonological processing skills-despite average or above average intelligence and ability.
Note: in Texas, dyslexia is serviced under 504 and not special education
How Do We Distinguish ELL Challenges from Disabilities?
ELL are the fastest growing population in the US, and schools are accountable for their progress under NCLB. Teachers need to understand that ELL difficulties may be the result of the non-native language and not a learning disability. If an ELL is suspected of having a LD, the full and individual evaluation must include the native language, and rule out language factors.
Best practices are discussed-such as native language performance, comparing performance to similar ELLs, the students BICS and CALP, verbal vs non verbal tasks, and response to instruction.
Low Literacy Adults
Non-native English speakers make up a large portion on low literacy adults.
Estimates show that 11 million adults in the US are non literate.
The Literacy Instruction Pie
Effective teachers know how to use data to make instructional decisions.
Reading instruction should include:
Word Analysis
Fluency
Reading/Writing Connection
Vocabulary
Comprehension
The amount of time and complexity of task will vary depending on the grade or ability level of the learner.
Pg 39-56
Historical Models for Context of Reading
Reading difficulties were first documented by physicians in 1676. In 1896, a physician used the phrase “word blindness” to describe a child who could not read, despite good instruction, good vision, and good mathematical skills”
The medical model presumes a deficit within the child.
When evaluating reading difficulties medical causes, such a poor eyesight or chronic ear infections, should be ruled out.
Developmental Models of Reading
Chall described reading as a series of progressive stages.
Emergent Literacy (print awareness)
Decoding
Confirmation & Fluency
Reading for information (new vocabulary & content)
Multiple viewpoints (Analysis/high school level)
World View (college level)
Spear-Swerling and Sternberg Model
Visual Cue Word Recognition
Alphabetic Insight
Phonetic Cue Word Recognition
Controlled Word Recognition
Automatic Word Recognition
Strategic Reading
Highly Proficient
Frith’s Developmental Model & Checklist can be useful in indentifying at risk kindergartners
Adam’s Cognitive Model links reading with the cognitive processes that must take place to derive meaning such as making connections and prior knowledge.
Information Processing Model of Reading
Information is received, either visually or auditorily, which interacts with short term and working memory, then the information is processed and an output occurs. The key to this model is what happens in short term and working memory, and the ability to make connections with prior knowledge.
Gagne developed a model to explain how print is processed in the brain to attain comprehension.
Gagne describes long term memory as declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.
Declarative knowledge is activated through decoding and sight word recognition.
Brain research supports the information processing model.
Cognitive processes involved in reading development include
Auditory processing
Processing Speed
Short & Long Term Memory
Our ability to read is affected by the processes and can be measured or assessed through an IQ assessment.
What is the relationship between reading and IQ?
Studies show that there is a significant relationship between reading achievement and IQ, both verbal and nonverbal. However, the relationship is not as strong in younger children. The relationship is also affected by the skills that are used to measure intelligence and the whether reading is defined as letter/word recognition or comprehension.
Transactional View of Reading
“focuses attention on situations in which literary experiences occur and emphasizes the importance of context interacting with the reader to construct new knowledge” (p. 53).
Rosenblatt believes that reader gives more attention to certain features of the text. Rosenblatt states that the way a reader reads is influenced by the purpose for reading, pleasure or information. Rosenblatt also states that comprehension is influenced by social and cultural experiences.
What the reader attends to is influenced by the classroom climate.
Speaking, Reading, & Writing
Reading is not an isolated skill, and is affected by receptive and expressive language skills, such as vocabulary.
Rosenblatt and others describe reading and writing as a reciprocal process of gaining meaning from print and using print to convey meaning.
An Inclusive View of Reading
All of these models demonstrate the complexity of reading. Not only are there cognitive influences from within the child, but also environmental factors from without.
Affective Dimension
Sight Word Knowledge
Fluency
Cognitive Correlates of Reading
Phonological Awareness
Phonics
Comprehension
Context
Vocabulary
Reading difficulties were first documented by physicians in 1676. In 1896, a physician used the phrase “word blindness” to describe a child who could not read, despite good instruction, good vision, and good mathematical skills”
The medical model presumes a deficit within the child.
When evaluating reading difficulties medical causes, such a poor eyesight or chronic ear infections, should be ruled out.
Developmental Models of Reading
Chall described reading as a series of progressive stages.
Emergent Literacy (print awareness)
Decoding
Confirmation & Fluency
Reading for information (new vocabulary & content)
Multiple viewpoints (Analysis/high school level)
World View (college level)
Spear-Swerling and Sternberg Model
Visual Cue Word Recognition
Alphabetic Insight
Phonetic Cue Word Recognition
Controlled Word Recognition
Automatic Word Recognition
Strategic Reading
Highly Proficient
Frith’s Developmental Model & Checklist can be useful in indentifying at risk kindergartners
Adam’s Cognitive Model links reading with the cognitive processes that must take place to derive meaning such as making connections and prior knowledge.
Information Processing Model of Reading
Information is received, either visually or auditorily, which interacts with short term and working memory, then the information is processed and an output occurs. The key to this model is what happens in short term and working memory, and the ability to make connections with prior knowledge.
Gagne developed a model to explain how print is processed in the brain to attain comprehension.
Gagne describes long term memory as declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.
Declarative knowledge is activated through decoding and sight word recognition.
Brain research supports the information processing model.
Cognitive processes involved in reading development include
Auditory processing
Processing Speed
Short & Long Term Memory
Our ability to read is affected by the processes and can be measured or assessed through an IQ assessment.
What is the relationship between reading and IQ?
Studies show that there is a significant relationship between reading achievement and IQ, both verbal and nonverbal. However, the relationship is not as strong in younger children. The relationship is also affected by the skills that are used to measure intelligence and the whether reading is defined as letter/word recognition or comprehension.
Transactional View of Reading
“focuses attention on situations in which literary experiences occur and emphasizes the importance of context interacting with the reader to construct new knowledge” (p. 53).
Rosenblatt believes that reader gives more attention to certain features of the text. Rosenblatt states that the way a reader reads is influenced by the purpose for reading, pleasure or information. Rosenblatt also states that comprehension is influenced by social and cultural experiences.
What the reader attends to is influenced by the classroom climate.
Speaking, Reading, & Writing
Reading is not an isolated skill, and is affected by receptive and expressive language skills, such as vocabulary.
Rosenblatt and others describe reading and writing as a reciprocal process of gaining meaning from print and using print to convey meaning.
An Inclusive View of Reading
All of these models demonstrate the complexity of reading. Not only are there cognitive influences from within the child, but also environmental factors from without.
Affective Dimension
Sight Word Knowledge
Fluency
Cognitive Correlates of Reading
Phonological Awareness
Phonics
Comprehension
Context
Vocabulary
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Pg 24-29
Pg 24-39
What is the multitiered model of instruction?
When a student fails to respond or make progress in the general education classroom with current instructional practices, they are moved into Tier 1. Tier 1 requires scientifically based instructional practices in a specific area for a specific amount of time in small group or individually. Progress is assessed and monitored through CBMs or other benchmarks. If a child does make adequate progress at this level, then they move to Tier 2. At this level, they continue to receive the Tier 1 interventions and are also provided additional targeted intensive instruction by the general education teacher or a content area specialist. Progress is assessed and monitored more frequently. If, after an extended period and several interventions, the child still fails to respond to instruction, they may be referred to special education to determine if the child has a learning disability. Tier 3 interventions are usually provided through special education.
Assessment is a key component of RTI and is the basis for instructional decisions and interventions.
What is scientifically based research in reading?
Consider the source: Is this a peer reviewed journal?
Replication: Have other studies had similar empirical findings?
Consensus: Do the experts and research support these findings?
Support: Do related studies support these findings?
Did the investigators organize their study? Was this a quantative or qualitative study? What type of experimental design was used?
How does scientifically based research help in the classroom?
“can empower educators to make informed decisions about which strategies and procedures to use” (p. 33).
What are the reading wars and how are they related to assessment?
Phonics vs. Whole Language
Decoding vs. Sight Words
Phonetically based text vs. Authentic literature
Instead of either or; teachers should take a balanced literacy approach implementing the strengths from both approaches.
Assessment will help a teacher determine whether a student needs remediation in decoding, comprehension, or both areas.
What are the major types of assessment?
1. Informal
2. Criterion referenced (curriculum based)
3. Formal standardized Individual
4. Formal standardized Group
What is the multitiered model of instruction?
When a student fails to respond or make progress in the general education classroom with current instructional practices, they are moved into Tier 1. Tier 1 requires scientifically based instructional practices in a specific area for a specific amount of time in small group or individually. Progress is assessed and monitored through CBMs or other benchmarks. If a child does make adequate progress at this level, then they move to Tier 2. At this level, they continue to receive the Tier 1 interventions and are also provided additional targeted intensive instruction by the general education teacher or a content area specialist. Progress is assessed and monitored more frequently. If, after an extended period and several interventions, the child still fails to respond to instruction, they may be referred to special education to determine if the child has a learning disability. Tier 3 interventions are usually provided through special education.
Assessment is a key component of RTI and is the basis for instructional decisions and interventions.
What is scientifically based research in reading?
Consider the source: Is this a peer reviewed journal?
Replication: Have other studies had similar empirical findings?
Consensus: Do the experts and research support these findings?
Support: Do related studies support these findings?
Did the investigators organize their study? Was this a quantative or qualitative study? What type of experimental design was used?
How does scientifically based research help in the classroom?
“can empower educators to make informed decisions about which strategies and procedures to use” (p. 33).
What are the reading wars and how are they related to assessment?
Phonics vs. Whole Language
Decoding vs. Sight Words
Phonetically based text vs. Authentic literature
Instead of either or; teachers should take a balanced literacy approach implementing the strengths from both approaches.
Assessment will help a teacher determine whether a student needs remediation in decoding, comprehension, or both areas.
What are the major types of assessment?
1. Informal
2. Criterion referenced (curriculum based)
3. Formal standardized Individual
4. Formal standardized Group
Pg 1-23
Pg 1-23
What is the role of assessment in instruction?
Assessments, whether informal CBMs or TAKS, should provide information about a student’s strengths and weaknesses. That information should then be used to guide instructional planning.
What do teachers need to know about reading assessment?
Teachers need to have an understanding of the ELA TEKS for the grades they work with, and know what tools are available or can be made to measure progress on these skills.
Purposes of Assessment
1. Instructional Planning-which skills has the child mastered, what areas of weakness need to be targeted, which learners can be grouped together effectively
2. Progress Monitoring-is the child making progress towards mastery, is progress being made when compared to baseline data
3. Accountability-is the student, class, and school meeting the state and federal criteria
4. Eligibility for Special Education-assessment is one of the tools used to determine eligibility for services, what IEP goals and objectives does this child need
What is reading?
-getting meaning from print
-comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics, phonemic awareness (5 Areas Identified by the NRP)
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that speech is made up of discreet sounds (auditory skill).
Phonics is the understanding that sounds are represented by letters (auditory and visual skill)
While Adams & the NRP support phonics instruction for young children, there are those support a whole language approach.
The authors of the text also included orthography as an essential component of reading. Orthography, knowledge of the letter system, influences a child’s automatic recognition of words and reading fluency.
Fluency is the ability to read with automaticity and accuracy. Fluency is receiving more attention because poor comprehension may be a result of poor fluency.
Vocabulary are the words we understand when we read, speak, or listen. Poor vocabulary can also result in poor comprehension.
Comprehension is our understanding of what we read. This is the focus of most reading instruction in the upper grades. Strategies that can be used to improve comprehension include metacognitive or self monitoring strategies, graphic organizers, various types and levels of questioning, story maps, cooperative learning groups, and direct instruction.
What is the role of assessment in instruction?
Assessments, whether informal CBMs or TAKS, should provide information about a student’s strengths and weaknesses. That information should then be used to guide instructional planning.
What do teachers need to know about reading assessment?
Teachers need to have an understanding of the ELA TEKS for the grades they work with, and know what tools are available or can be made to measure progress on these skills.
Purposes of Assessment
1. Instructional Planning-which skills has the child mastered, what areas of weakness need to be targeted, which learners can be grouped together effectively
2. Progress Monitoring-is the child making progress towards mastery, is progress being made when compared to baseline data
3. Accountability-is the student, class, and school meeting the state and federal criteria
4. Eligibility for Special Education-assessment is one of the tools used to determine eligibility for services, what IEP goals and objectives does this child need
What is reading?
-getting meaning from print
-comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics, phonemic awareness (5 Areas Identified by the NRP)
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that speech is made up of discreet sounds (auditory skill).
Phonics is the understanding that sounds are represented by letters (auditory and visual skill)
While Adams & the NRP support phonics instruction for young children, there are those support a whole language approach.
The authors of the text also included orthography as an essential component of reading. Orthography, knowledge of the letter system, influences a child’s automatic recognition of words and reading fluency.
Fluency is the ability to read with automaticity and accuracy. Fluency is receiving more attention because poor comprehension may be a result of poor fluency.
Vocabulary are the words we understand when we read, speak, or listen. Poor vocabulary can also result in poor comprehension.
Comprehension is our understanding of what we read. This is the focus of most reading instruction in the upper grades. Strategies that can be used to improve comprehension include metacognitive or self monitoring strategies, graphic organizers, various types and levels of questioning, story maps, cooperative learning groups, and direct instruction.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
McDonalds Chicken Nuggets vs Milkbone Dog biscuits
My reading professor made a very dramatic illustration in class on Thurdsay night.
She read the ingredients in the milkbone dog biscuits and pointed out that all of the ingredients were items we could understand....and then she ate one! Yuck!
Then she told us about the ingredients in McDonals Chicken Nuggets...half of which we could not pronouce.....
She also compared the calories in the dog biscuits & chicken nuggets....guess which one has alot fewer calories....yep, the dog biscuits!
So is it we don't eat dog biscuits...but we will pay lots of money to eat mystery meat thats loaded with fat and calories....!
Let's just say when I drove by McDonalds today...I had no desire to stop and order chicken nuggets!
The point she was trying to make was the power and effect of a label!
We make judgements about people and kids based a label, and not what's inside the package!
When we should take the time to learn about the inside of the package, before forming an opinion.
She read the ingredients in the milkbone dog biscuits and pointed out that all of the ingredients were items we could understand....and then she ate one! Yuck!
Then she told us about the ingredients in McDonals Chicken Nuggets...half of which we could not pronouce.....
She also compared the calories in the dog biscuits & chicken nuggets....guess which one has alot fewer calories....yep, the dog biscuits!
So is it we don't eat dog biscuits...but we will pay lots of money to eat mystery meat thats loaded with fat and calories....!
Let's just say when I drove by McDonalds today...I had no desire to stop and order chicken nuggets!
The point she was trying to make was the power and effect of a label!
We make judgements about people and kids based a label, and not what's inside the package!
When we should take the time to learn about the inside of the package, before forming an opinion.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Germany-Some Final Thoughts
Germany is a beautiful country full of history.
I loved all the old building, castles, and downtown plazas and pedestrian areas.
Germany is very clean and the people are very environmentally friendly (all their trash must be sorted and vehicles need special stickers to drive in the large cities).
The people are different..we are used to southern hospitality and friendliness...but friendly is a not a word I would use to describe most Germans you meet on the street. Not because they are intentionally rude...they just aren't friendly.
I love the autobahn....Germans are the best drivers..everyone knows the rules and they follow them. No wonder they are safe drivers with no speed limit.
Having to pay to go to the bathroom was something that took getting used to. It didn't matter if you were eating at the McDonalds, in the mall, or at a rest stop on the autobahn ...you have to pay 50 euro cents. But I have to admit, when we stopped at the rest stop on the autobahn it was the cleanest bathroom I have ever seen. The toilet seat automatically cleans itself after every flush...so its was well worth it!
Having to pay for ketchup also seemed strange.
Germans like sparkling or mineral water...so you have to be careful about which water you get ...no gas/no bubbles!
The missionaries we saw are doing a great job...and made me stop and consider what my priorities should really be! Because in eternity, most of the things we value will be worthless.
I loved all the old building, castles, and downtown plazas and pedestrian areas.
Germany is very clean and the people are very environmentally friendly (all their trash must be sorted and vehicles need special stickers to drive in the large cities).
The people are different..we are used to southern hospitality and friendliness...but friendly is a not a word I would use to describe most Germans you meet on the street. Not because they are intentionally rude...they just aren't friendly.
I love the autobahn....Germans are the best drivers..everyone knows the rules and they follow them. No wonder they are safe drivers with no speed limit.
Having to pay to go to the bathroom was something that took getting used to. It didn't matter if you were eating at the McDonalds, in the mall, or at a rest stop on the autobahn ...you have to pay 50 euro cents. But I have to admit, when we stopped at the rest stop on the autobahn it was the cleanest bathroom I have ever seen. The toilet seat automatically cleans itself after every flush...so its was well worth it!
Having to pay for ketchup also seemed strange.
Germans like sparkling or mineral water...so you have to be careful about which water you get ...no gas/no bubbles!
The missionaries we saw are doing a great job...and made me stop and consider what my priorities should really be! Because in eternity, most of the things we value will be worthless.
Germany Day 14
Monday
We still had lots of souvenirs to buy, so Gary and Chastity took us back into Frankfurt to try to find some stuff to bring home.
Everything was so expensive, then when you figure out the exchange into dollars-you don't want to buy anything...but then you realize that this is one of those once in a lifetime opportunities and just quit worrying about the cost of every item.
We rode the train..and that was an interesting experience.
We ate at Kentucky Fried Chicken in the train station...it was good but its not the same...and of course it was alot more expensive. A 2 piece meal with fries and a drink was over 7 euro...which equals about $10.50.
See...I am not exaggerating about the cost of everything.
We still had lots of souvenirs to buy, so Gary and Chastity took us back into Frankfurt to try to find some stuff to bring home.
Everything was so expensive, then when you figure out the exchange into dollars-you don't want to buy anything...but then you realize that this is one of those once in a lifetime opportunities and just quit worrying about the cost of every item.
We rode the train..and that was an interesting experience.
We ate at Kentucky Fried Chicken in the train station...it was good but its not the same...and of course it was alot more expensive. A 2 piece meal with fries and a drink was over 7 euro...which equals about $10.50.
See...I am not exaggerating about the cost of everything.
Germany Day 13
Sunday
We had Sunday School in English with Bro. Gary. He did a really good lesson on the person of Jesus Christ. Then we had a regular church service in German. We recognized a couple of songs because they used the same music. Thankfully Bro. Gary translated for us, while Bro. Michael preached.
Then we drove to Frankfurt to have lunch with Bro. Gary's church. He has a group of Burmese people who made us a German lunch of ham, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut.
I never saurkraut in the States, I don't even like the smell of it...but I ate this sauerkraut-it was delicious.
Then we had church in German..but Bro. Michael translated while Bro. Gary preached. It was a really good service.
We had Sunday School in English with Bro. Gary. He did a really good lesson on the person of Jesus Christ. Then we had a regular church service in German. We recognized a couple of songs because they used the same music. Thankfully Bro. Gary translated for us, while Bro. Michael preached.
Then we drove to Frankfurt to have lunch with Bro. Gary's church. He has a group of Burmese people who made us a German lunch of ham, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut.
I never saurkraut in the States, I don't even like the smell of it...but I ate this sauerkraut-it was delicious.
Then we had church in German..but Bro. Michael translated while Bro. Gary preached. It was a really good service.
Germany Day 12
Saturday
Road Trip!
We all piled in the van and we drove for over 2 hours form Frankfurt to Weimar in what was Eastern Germany.
We went to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
I have read read lots of books on this time period, and I am familiar with alot of the torture the Nazis inflicted on not only Jews, but everybody they didn't like-gypsies, mentally handicapped, political prisoners, the elderly. But somehow that knowledge made walking through the camp all that much harder.
It is so hard to describe. I took lots of pictures outside, because of course you are no allowed to take picture inside.
When we entered the camp we walked into to the crematorium and saw the ovens and the cellar. Out of respect, it is a place of silence-but you could sense the weight of the atrocities committed there. It was such a mix of emotions, part of me wanted to puke..the other part just wanted to cry.
Then we went into the museum portion of the camp. They took the storehouse building and turned it into 2 floors of artifacts and information. As you entered a new section in the chronology there would be an English description, but the frustrating part was that most of the descriptions were in German, and I kept having to ask for a translation. Even with the language barrier, you could still figure out what you were looking at.
We also saw the disinfecting rooms, where the people were processed when they arrived.
It is a place I will never forget.
Then we left the camp and were going to go to the castle where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, but exit from the autobahn was closed. But from the autobahn, we could see the castle at the top of the hill.
Its ok...I will just have to see it when I go back.
Road Trip!
We all piled in the van and we drove for over 2 hours form Frankfurt to Weimar in what was Eastern Germany.
We went to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
I have read read lots of books on this time period, and I am familiar with alot of the torture the Nazis inflicted on not only Jews, but everybody they didn't like-gypsies, mentally handicapped, political prisoners, the elderly. But somehow that knowledge made walking through the camp all that much harder.
It is so hard to describe. I took lots of pictures outside, because of course you are no allowed to take picture inside.
When we entered the camp we walked into to the crematorium and saw the ovens and the cellar. Out of respect, it is a place of silence-but you could sense the weight of the atrocities committed there. It was such a mix of emotions, part of me wanted to puke..the other part just wanted to cry.
Then we went into the museum portion of the camp. They took the storehouse building and turned it into 2 floors of artifacts and information. As you entered a new section in the chronology there would be an English description, but the frustrating part was that most of the descriptions were in German, and I kept having to ask for a translation. Even with the language barrier, you could still figure out what you were looking at.
We also saw the disinfecting rooms, where the people were processed when they arrived.
It is a place I will never forget.
Then we left the camp and were going to go to the castle where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, but exit from the autobahn was closed. But from the autobahn, we could see the castle at the top of the hill.
Its ok...I will just have to see it when I go back.
Germany Day 11
Friday
Chastity took us to another cool castle called Ronneburg, just north of Frankfurt. This castle has a well that is almost 100 meters deep. When we pour the water down it takes over 12 seconds before you hear the water hit the bottom. It was the neatest thing.
This castle was different from the one Hanau, it was much older and alot more hands on. We climbed up to the very top of the parapet...those were the steepest stairs I have ever climbed, but the view from the top was worth it. You could see the whole country side. I also found some cool souvenirs, like a replica of the sword of Richard the Lionheart!
Chastity took us to another cool castle called Ronneburg, just north of Frankfurt. This castle has a well that is almost 100 meters deep. When we pour the water down it takes over 12 seconds before you hear the water hit the bottom. It was the neatest thing.
This castle was different from the one Hanau, it was much older and alot more hands on. We climbed up to the very top of the parapet...those were the steepest stairs I have ever climbed, but the view from the top was worth it. You could see the whole country side. I also found some cool souvenirs, like a replica of the sword of Richard the Lionheart!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Germany Day 10
Thursday
Today we had to drive back to Heidelberg to get the rest of our luggage, and to say goodbye to the Castellaws. It took us about an hour to get there and almost 2 hours to get back because of the traffic on the autobahn. The sky has been gray all day...the Luticks told us that duringh te month of November it will be gray and rainy almost every day...:(
On Thursday nights, the Lutricks have their mid week service. They go out into the town and invite people to come. Then after the service they feed everyone a meal, and take them back home.
Today we had to drive back to Heidelberg to get the rest of our luggage, and to say goodbye to the Castellaws. It took us about an hour to get there and almost 2 hours to get back because of the traffic on the autobahn. The sky has been gray all day...the Luticks told us that duringh te month of November it will be gray and rainy almost every day...:(
On Thursday nights, the Lutricks have their mid week service. They go out into the town and invite people to come. Then after the service they feed everyone a meal, and take them back home.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Germany Day 9
Wednesday
Today Chastity took us to a castle in Hanau. It had a large fountain with a rose garden in front, and big staircase, and the most beautiful ceilings. In every room the ceiling has a different design. The doors had lions for door handles, and the wood carvings were incredible. Each room also had unique chandeliers. Eveything was so beautiful. The castle also had a special exhibit of tarantulas from around the world. They were all the size of my hand, but some ofthem were kind of creepy looking.
Then we went to Subway, and had the 5 euro footlong special....I saved the receipt so you could see the taxes they charge here...one tax was 7% and another was 19%...that's insane!
Tonight, we went with Bro. Gary and another man to downtown Frankfurt and passed out tracts in the pedestrian zone. I still cannot get over how many people smoke. Even though we were outside and there was a breeze, my eyes and nose are still burning. Even when it got later and there weren't alot of people, I could still smell the smoke. The girls did a really good job, I was so proud of them! They just got out there and started handing them out! Most of the people were friendly, and a few even said thank you! There are alot of Arab/Indian/Muslim people here...and even a few of them took the tracts.
The weather here had been warmer than it was last week, so we aren't freezing anymore!
Today Chastity took us to a castle in Hanau. It had a large fountain with a rose garden in front, and big staircase, and the most beautiful ceilings. In every room the ceiling has a different design. The doors had lions for door handles, and the wood carvings were incredible. Each room also had unique chandeliers. Eveything was so beautiful. The castle also had a special exhibit of tarantulas from around the world. They were all the size of my hand, but some ofthem were kind of creepy looking.
Then we went to Subway, and had the 5 euro footlong special....I saved the receipt so you could see the taxes they charge here...one tax was 7% and another was 19%...that's insane!
Tonight, we went with Bro. Gary and another man to downtown Frankfurt and passed out tracts in the pedestrian zone. I still cannot get over how many people smoke. Even though we were outside and there was a breeze, my eyes and nose are still burning. Even when it got later and there weren't alot of people, I could still smell the smoke. The girls did a really good job, I was so proud of them! They just got out there and started handing them out! Most of the people were friendly, and a few even said thank you! There are alot of Arab/Indian/Muslim people here...and even a few of them took the tracts.
The weather here had been warmer than it was last week, so we aren't freezing anymore!
Germany Day 8
Tuesday we slept late again...we must be getting lazy.
We walked back to the pedestrian zone by ourselves, and went to the mall to order some breakfast/lunch. The lady at the counter didn't speak English and I don't speak German, so I just pointed and held up my fingers to tell her how many. It was quite interesting, but I did manage to get us some food.
This evening, Bro. Duke drove us back to the Frankfurt area. We were supposed to leave around 2:00, but didn't get on the road until after 6:00, so it was late when we finally got there. I was disappointed that it was already dark..since there are some really great views, but I loved seeing all the little villages lit up across the plains and the mountains.
We walked back to the pedestrian zone by ourselves, and went to the mall to order some breakfast/lunch. The lady at the counter didn't speak English and I don't speak German, so I just pointed and held up my fingers to tell her how many. It was quite interesting, but I did manage to get us some food.
This evening, Bro. Duke drove us back to the Frankfurt area. We were supposed to leave around 2:00, but didn't get on the road until after 6:00, so it was late when we finally got there. I was disappointed that it was already dark..since there are some really great views, but I loved seeing all the little villages lit up across the plains and the mountains.
Germany Day 7
Monday we were so exhuasted from the late nights and Sunday, we slept late.
Then Danica came over and showed us around Wilhemshaven. We ate döner at this Iraqi restraunt. To me they are alot like Greek gyros. Then we walked down to the pedestrian area with lots of neat shops and a McDonalds...they have alot of McDonalds everywhere. We also wlaked though the town mall. Then we walked down and saw the coast...or where the river empties into the North Sea. There were several large sailing ships in the harbor...kind of like pirates of the carribean. The big bridge turns sideways, lets the ships pass, then it turns backs. It wsa cool to watch. We also saw some German miltiary boats. On the other side of the bridge there were more military ships...because there is a German navy port.
This evening, Danica drove us out to a dairy farm and we had fresh milk...I am not a big milk drinker...but that was really good.
Then Danica came over and showed us around Wilhemshaven. We ate döner at this Iraqi restraunt. To me they are alot like Greek gyros. Then we walked down to the pedestrian area with lots of neat shops and a McDonalds...they have alot of McDonalds everywhere. We also wlaked though the town mall. Then we walked down and saw the coast...or where the river empties into the North Sea. There were several large sailing ships in the harbor...kind of like pirates of the carribean. The big bridge turns sideways, lets the ships pass, then it turns backs. It wsa cool to watch. We also saw some German miltiary boats. On the other side of the bridge there were more military ships...because there is a German navy port.
This evening, Danica drove us out to a dairy farm and we had fresh milk...I am not a big milk drinker...but that was really good.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Germany Day 6
Sunday morning started early, there was alot of things that we needed to get ready. This would be the Duke's first service in thier new buidling everyone was excited about the new larger space. We set upt he tables and made place settings. Apparently, Germans are very particular aou how the silverware is placed on the table...fork on the right, knife on the left, and spoon across the top.
The service went really well. The girls, Veronica Duke, and I sang while one of thier young men played the piano for us. Then they had some speical music in German. Bro. Duke preached in German-so all I know is that he was reading from the book of John. Mrs. Duke was going to translate for us-but after we were seated someone else came and sat on the rest of the row-and I couldn't aks her to move. So we sat there and smiled and nodded-but didn't understand a word-but the people seemed to like it-and that what really counts.
Then we went upstairs and had lunch...meatloaf, soup, potato salad, pasta salad, red cabbage, and desserts. I have tried red cabbage before, so I didn't get any, but I tried everything else. The table i sat at had a russian man and another man form Iran. When the Iranian found out I was from america-he asked me about George Bush, and told me that he think Obama is lying (LOL). Then we spent the rest of the afternoon talking and hanging out.
I learned alot about the Euopean government. For example, homeschooling is illegal in Germany and the Netherlands. You are required to send your children to the state school, or they will fine you. This practice apparently goes back to the days of Hitler, but its still a law they enforce. Hank (the large woman's husband) showed me his passport. It has a biochip in it with all of his personal information, and pictures of his children. without pictures of your children in your passort you cannot leave the country with them-because you cannot prove that they belong to you. Another interesting thig they told me about is a club in Amsterdam. The only way to get in is with a chip implanted under your skin. They scan you when you come in and all your charges are kept on file, then they scan you when you leave and your bill is deducted from your bank out-thats kind of spooky.
Later we sat at talked with the nicest guy (the same one who played the piano for us). He could speak some English and he was trying very hard to talk to us. He is studying medical engineering, and speaks 3 languages-German, French, and English.
It was a really good day.
The service went really well. The girls, Veronica Duke, and I sang while one of thier young men played the piano for us. Then they had some speical music in German. Bro. Duke preached in German-so all I know is that he was reading from the book of John. Mrs. Duke was going to translate for us-but after we were seated someone else came and sat on the rest of the row-and I couldn't aks her to move. So we sat there and smiled and nodded-but didn't understand a word-but the people seemed to like it-and that what really counts.
Then we went upstairs and had lunch...meatloaf, soup, potato salad, pasta salad, red cabbage, and desserts. I have tried red cabbage before, so I didn't get any, but I tried everything else. The table i sat at had a russian man and another man form Iran. When the Iranian found out I was from america-he asked me about George Bush, and told me that he think Obama is lying (LOL). Then we spent the rest of the afternoon talking and hanging out.
I learned alot about the Euopean government. For example, homeschooling is illegal in Germany and the Netherlands. You are required to send your children to the state school, or they will fine you. This practice apparently goes back to the days of Hitler, but its still a law they enforce. Hank (the large woman's husband) showed me his passport. It has a biochip in it with all of his personal information, and pictures of his children. without pictures of your children in your passort you cannot leave the country with them-because you cannot prove that they belong to you. Another interesting thig they told me about is a club in Amsterdam. The only way to get in is with a chip implanted under your skin. They scan you when you come in and all your charges are kept on file, then they scan you when you leave and your bill is deducted from your bank out-thats kind of spooky.
Later we sat at talked with the nicest guy (the same one who played the piano for us). He could speak some English and he was trying very hard to talk to us. He is studying medical engineering, and speaks 3 languages-German, French, and English.
It was a really good day.
Germany Day 5
Today is Saturday. The plan for the day is to go to the platz for the street meeting, and I will go with Mrs. Duke to get the things we will need for the meal tomorrow after church.
The stores in Germany are very different. Again we had to put money in the shopping cart in order to use it. They have bakeries and large meat and cheese departments. I also saw some weight watcher meals (like the ones I take to school for lunch). Thie time the store offered us some brown paper bags, since we had lots of groceries, but we had to load everything-the cashier will just sit there and watch you. Then you take it out to your car, and retune the cart, and you will get your coin back.
We went back to the church and Mrs. Duke made this delicious soup from frozen vegetables (Its a really simple recipe)! another family from the Netherlands also came to visit. This woman was at least 6 foot tall and had the hugest hands (she used to be a biker that also worked as as butcher) but she was so sweet. Sarah and Martha stayed at the church because it was getting late, and Beth and I went back to the Duke's house and chopped onions, celery, pickles, eggs, potatoes, and apples. We also prepared meatloaf, and I have a new recipe for German meatloaf-with lots of mustard. Lets just say that it was after midnight before we were finished, and we had church the next morning.
The stores in Germany are very different. Again we had to put money in the shopping cart in order to use it. They have bakeries and large meat and cheese departments. I also saw some weight watcher meals (like the ones I take to school for lunch). Thie time the store offered us some brown paper bags, since we had lots of groceries, but we had to load everything-the cashier will just sit there and watch you. Then you take it out to your car, and retune the cart, and you will get your coin back.
We went back to the church and Mrs. Duke made this delicious soup from frozen vegetables (Its a really simple recipe)! another family from the Netherlands also came to visit. This woman was at least 6 foot tall and had the hugest hands (she used to be a biker that also worked as as butcher) but she was so sweet. Sarah and Martha stayed at the church because it was getting late, and Beth and I went back to the Duke's house and chopped onions, celery, pickles, eggs, potatoes, and apples. We also prepared meatloaf, and I have a new recipe for German meatloaf-with lots of mustard. Lets just say that it was after midnight before we were finished, and we had church the next morning.
Germany Day 4
We had to get up early this morning and drive an hour north to Frankfurt. Since we were riding in a small bus we didn´t drive too fast on the autobahn. The Luticks had some other American visitors, so he took us all into the city. We saw the Frankfurt Opera House...which is a beautiful old building wiht its own plaza just outside the financial district (Frankfurt has like 20 major banks). Then we walked down the pedstrian zone-which is a street lined with shops (and Starbucks) but there are no cars. So we walked for about a mile and a half, then we went into the Old city. i think its called the Romanplatz-because they can trace some of the building back to the times of the Romans. All of the buildings in this area look like the German postcards. There was a vendor selling bratwurst-so of course we had to try some. There were also some actors/mimes in the plaza. One guy was painted all gold, and hte other had make up on that made him look like an old painting and they would stay in poses-so they looked like statues. It was really cool. Then we walked closer to the Main River and saw a Chinese man doing tricks while balancing objects on his head or nose. I bought a couple of souvenirs, but I am still in shock with the prices. Not only do I think theey ae expensive-but if you translate it back to dollars-then its really expensive. For example, I bought a magnet-nothing fancy-and it 3.4 euros or close to $6-for a plain magnet that might have been $2 in the Staes. We saw the river, then went back and ate jager schnitzel (breaded pork cutlet wtih mushroom gravy) and potatoes at an outdoor cafe. It was really nice, but it was a chilly when the sun went behind the clouds. By this time it was late afternoon, and we stil had a long drive ahead of us. Bro. Duke was going to drive us to Wilhelmshaven-which was on the northern coast. So it was back to the autobahn. As soon as we started driving, the girls were all asleep. Since we now in smaller car, Bro. Duke drove like a Geramn. We went over 200km-hour (160 km-hour=100 mph). It was really cool! We talked about lots of things and you could see the change in the country. The mountains were full of trees covered with gold and red leaves, mixed with different kinds of evergreens. We left the mountains and now that land was flat. We did stop at McDonalds for some food...but it was still expensive and not that great., but at least they had water with out gas (the people here drink mineral water-so you have to request plain water). We finally arrived in Wilhelmshaven around 9:30 and met all the kids. It hasd been a long day!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Germany Day 3
Today was a beautiful day because the sun was finally out!
Angie took us back to the Schloss (Castle) Heidelberg...becaue it turns out that we missed half of the outside grounds. There is a wall on the other side that is crumbled and you can see how thick the original castle walls are. It was pretty neat!
Then we went to back to the main street and visited the university museum and student prison.
apparently for the about 200 years the university was responsible for thier students and could punish them as necessary. So we went into this small building and up on the 3rd floor wwere these little cells with "graffitti" all over the walls that tells their story or advocates a cause.
Then we went to McDonalds and the Mac cafe. The McD's has a "starbucks" type coffee shop in it. The girls and I ordered 2 fries, 2 drinks, and a bottle of water and paid over 10Euros. That's like 15 American dollars! Needless to say that was the most expensive snack ever. But everything here is expensive.
Tonight they had English bible study and the girls were able to visit the church and see the print shop. We had a good time meeting the people. Tomorrow we will go see Bro. Duke in northern Germany for the weekend.
I am looking forward to the drive and seeing the rest of the country!
Angie took us back to the Schloss (Castle) Heidelberg...becaue it turns out that we missed half of the outside grounds. There is a wall on the other side that is crumbled and you can see how thick the original castle walls are. It was pretty neat!
Then we went to back to the main street and visited the university museum and student prison.
apparently for the about 200 years the university was responsible for thier students and could punish them as necessary. So we went into this small building and up on the 3rd floor wwere these little cells with "graffitti" all over the walls that tells their story or advocates a cause.
Then we went to McDonalds and the Mac cafe. The McD's has a "starbucks" type coffee shop in it. The girls and I ordered 2 fries, 2 drinks, and a bottle of water and paid over 10Euros. That's like 15 American dollars! Needless to say that was the most expensive snack ever. But everything here is expensive.
Tonight they had English bible study and the girls were able to visit the church and see the print shop. We had a good time meeting the people. Tomorrow we will go see Bro. Duke in northern Germany for the weekend.
I am looking forward to the drive and seeing the rest of the country!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Germany Day 2
We had a really nice day today...even though we got off to a slow start.
We went for a walk through town this morning with the dog. He is so obedient, more obedient than most children. Angie told the dog to lay down, while we went in the bakery...and he did.
The bread here is phenomenal! We had sandwiches this morning. Apparently Germans don't eat a hot breakfast. They will eat a sandwich with jelly(the jelly makes it breakfast and not lunch) or a boiled egg. The interesting thing is they also like thier bread cold. I noticed this on the plane too, when they served us dinner and the meal was hot and the bread was cold. Today, I stuck the bread in the microwave...and that made it even better.
We went to downtown Heidelberg andthe Castle today. It was cold and rainy, but we still had a good time.
The castle is really a neat place. Its so amazing when you think that its over a 1000 years old.
It also had a pharmacy museum that was kind of interesting. While we there we also saw lots of army guys (& girls), so we were curious about what was going on. Turns out they army was having a re-enlistment ceremny. So we stayed and watched. There were probably over 150 soldiers taking the oath, and they were going to have additional ceremonies tomorrow! HOOAH!
After we left the castle, we walked down this long path down the mountain and went into the town "pedestrian zone". Its a street wtih no cars that's lined with lots of shops. We saw really nice Christmas store, soem beautiful cookoo clocks, and Subaway, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks. A tall hot chocoalte was 3.50 euros (and that was a cheap drink) I think that comes out to over 5 american dollars, but it was chilly and we wanted something hot to drink.
The other thing that struck us as odd, is that the people do not like to have thier picture taken. I was taking a picture of this bakery wtih all this beautiful fresh bread onthe shelf, and the cashier began to complain. weird.
For dinner Angie made the a delicious meal! The meat had some long German name...but it was cut up pork with mushrooms in a cream sauce served over rice, then she also made a tomato and zucchinni au gratin casserole with vegetables grown in her garden in the back. Needles to say, it was awesome, and I plan to get the seasonings I need to make it again when I home.
We are having a great time, but hopefully the sun will come out soon!
We went for a walk through town this morning with the dog. He is so obedient, more obedient than most children. Angie told the dog to lay down, while we went in the bakery...and he did.
The bread here is phenomenal! We had sandwiches this morning. Apparently Germans don't eat a hot breakfast. They will eat a sandwich with jelly(the jelly makes it breakfast and not lunch) or a boiled egg. The interesting thing is they also like thier bread cold. I noticed this on the plane too, when they served us dinner and the meal was hot and the bread was cold. Today, I stuck the bread in the microwave...and that made it even better.
We went to downtown Heidelberg andthe Castle today. It was cold and rainy, but we still had a good time.
The castle is really a neat place. Its so amazing when you think that its over a 1000 years old.
It also had a pharmacy museum that was kind of interesting. While we there we also saw lots of army guys (& girls), so we were curious about what was going on. Turns out they army was having a re-enlistment ceremny. So we stayed and watched. There were probably over 150 soldiers taking the oath, and they were going to have additional ceremonies tomorrow! HOOAH!
After we left the castle, we walked down this long path down the mountain and went into the town "pedestrian zone". Its a street wtih no cars that's lined with lots of shops. We saw really nice Christmas store, soem beautiful cookoo clocks, and Subaway, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks. A tall hot chocoalte was 3.50 euros (and that was a cheap drink) I think that comes out to over 5 american dollars, but it was chilly and we wanted something hot to drink.
The other thing that struck us as odd, is that the people do not like to have thier picture taken. I was taking a picture of this bakery wtih all this beautiful fresh bread onthe shelf, and the cashier began to complain. weird.
For dinner Angie made the a delicious meal! The meat had some long German name...but it was cut up pork with mushrooms in a cream sauce served over rice, then she also made a tomato and zucchinni au gratin casserole with vegetables grown in her garden in the back. Needles to say, it was awesome, and I plan to get the seasonings I need to make it again when I home.
We are having a great time, but hopefully the sun will come out soon!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Germany Day 1
Hi
Beth has a great story about her water bottle....but I will have to let her tell it.
After the long flight we finally arrived in Germany. While the flight crew did their best to trick us into thinking it was morning (when it was 1 am CST) by feeding us breakfast before landing at 8 :00 am german time, we were still exhausted. I had a window seat and was "locked in" I ddin't even get up to go to the bathroom..which must be some new kind of record. Then when we went through customs, the man at the counter didn't even speak to us. He just scanned passports and handed them back. When I said thank you, he just made a face. Then we went outside the airport...and the smell of exhaust and cigarrettes was disgusting...so we went back inside to wait for the shuttle. We got on the shuttle and the girls got a chance to get some sleep. We were only on the highway, not the autobahn...and our dirver was going over 140 km per hour...which converts to 95 miles per hour...and we weren't even in the fast lane. I watched one guy in his nice volkswagon pass us up while eating a hamburger....so I think Dad needs to give me a break about eating while I am driving.
Aftern Angie picked us up, we went to the grocery store. You have to put money in the cart in order to use it...kind of like those bagggae carts at the aiport. Then when you return the cart you can get your coin back. The grocery store had a bakery in it. Angie bought a loaf of bread, and they stuck it in this machine that sliced it for us, and we have had some of the best sandwiches! Angie also bought us some German chocolate candies, they are delicious. Yes we will bring some home! The other interesting thing, is that they don't bag your groceries here. The cashier scans your items and puts them back into the basket. So its bring your own bag!
It is definitely cooler here. It rained today, so it was a damp cold. And we were freezing. Thankfully, Angie made us some soup tonight and that helped alot.
Tonight, I went to Bible Institute while the girls stayed at the house and slept. Bro. Castellaw taught on Hebrews and problem texts, it was very interesting. He also showed me some of their new printing equipment. They are making top quality products that look awesome!
Tomorrow, we are going to the castle and downtown! We saw the castle from the river, but we will go exploring tomorrow!
Beth has a great story about her water bottle....but I will have to let her tell it.
After the long flight we finally arrived in Germany. While the flight crew did their best to trick us into thinking it was morning (when it was 1 am CST) by feeding us breakfast before landing at 8 :00 am german time, we were still exhausted. I had a window seat and was "locked in" I ddin't even get up to go to the bathroom..which must be some new kind of record. Then when we went through customs, the man at the counter didn't even speak to us. He just scanned passports and handed them back. When I said thank you, he just made a face. Then we went outside the airport...and the smell of exhaust and cigarrettes was disgusting...so we went back inside to wait for the shuttle. We got on the shuttle and the girls got a chance to get some sleep. We were only on the highway, not the autobahn...and our dirver was going over 140 km per hour...which converts to 95 miles per hour...and we weren't even in the fast lane. I watched one guy in his nice volkswagon pass us up while eating a hamburger....so I think Dad needs to give me a break about eating while I am driving.
Aftern Angie picked us up, we went to the grocery store. You have to put money in the cart in order to use it...kind of like those bagggae carts at the aiport. Then when you return the cart you can get your coin back. The grocery store had a bakery in it. Angie bought a loaf of bread, and they stuck it in this machine that sliced it for us, and we have had some of the best sandwiches! Angie also bought us some German chocolate candies, they are delicious. Yes we will bring some home! The other interesting thing, is that they don't bag your groceries here. The cashier scans your items and puts them back into the basket. So its bring your own bag!
It is definitely cooler here. It rained today, so it was a damp cold. And we were freezing. Thankfully, Angie made us some soup tonight and that helped alot.
Tonight, I went to Bible Institute while the girls stayed at the house and slept. Bro. Castellaw taught on Hebrews and problem texts, it was very interesting. He also showed me some of their new printing equipment. They are making top quality products that look awesome!
Tomorrow, we are going to the castle and downtown! We saw the castle from the river, but we will go exploring tomorrow!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Germany, Here We Come!
After staying up till 3:00 am on Sat night/Sun am, and the drive to Houston...we are finally ready to leave. I tired to take care of everything I could think of..bought groceries, refilled dad's prescriptions, and amde sure he had enough snacks to last while I am gone.
We are very excited to see our friends and missionaries. This is the first time my companions have been away from home without their parents, much less in a foreign country!
Germany, here we come!
We are very excited to see our friends and missionaries. This is the first time my companions have been away from home without their parents, much less in a foreign country!
Germany, here we come!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Craziness
The last week has been very frustrating. Maybe its because I have been so sick with allergies/sinus junk, that it just seems worse.
Most days I really love my job, and other days I just want to go home and crawl in bed.
Things at school are very chaotic-changes in the way we plan/teach, people conflicts, and student meltdowns.
It breaks my heart to see a child have a meltdown of negativity. How does a child learn to "hate" himself and the people around him? Now, I don't think he really hates everyone-but when he is frustrated-he can't see past his own anger.
Yesterday, I met with a parent who thought her child might have dyselxia. After reading Shaywitz's book this summer and the research for my paper, I actually felt like I could answer her questions and make suggestions-and I really knew what I was talking about.
I can't wait till Sunday...I am so ready for a vacation from school and everything else.
Most days I really love my job, and other days I just want to go home and crawl in bed.
Things at school are very chaotic-changes in the way we plan/teach, people conflicts, and student meltdowns.
It breaks my heart to see a child have a meltdown of negativity. How does a child learn to "hate" himself and the people around him? Now, I don't think he really hates everyone-but when he is frustrated-he can't see past his own anger.
Yesterday, I met with a parent who thought her child might have dyselxia. After reading Shaywitz's book this summer and the research for my paper, I actually felt like I could answer her questions and make suggestions-and I really knew what I was talking about.
I can't wait till Sunday...I am so ready for a vacation from school and everything else.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
This past week of school has been challenging. I firmly believe that every child can learn...even the special ed kid with a label. The purpose of that label is supposed to help you identify strengths and weaknesses-so that as a teacher you know how that child learns best...and you teach them that way.
This is the toughest part of the job.
How do you know that you are teaching in the best way possible so that this student will learn?
Many of my colleagues have colleagues have told me that I am a good teacher, but most of the time I feel like there are alot of things that I could do better. Maybe thinking you are not doing a good job, keeps you vigilant to make every lesson better than the one before.
This is the toughest part of the job.
How do you know that you are teaching in the best way possible so that this student will learn?
Many of my colleagues have colleagues have told me that I am a good teacher, but most of the time I feel like there are alot of things that I could do better. Maybe thinking you are not doing a good job, keeps you vigilant to make every lesson better than the one before.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Hmmmm
Something interesting happened this evening. My Pastor has been teaching on spiritual gifts, and tonight he gave us a profile screening that is supposed to help us identify our strengths and weaknesses. I discovered that my strength is knowledge, but teaching wasn't even in the top 3 or 4. Pastor said it means that I would rather study than teach....since this is my 2nd Masters degree...I guess its accurate.
Where did you get that title?
It comes from Paul letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament.
Ephesians 4:1b I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
Ephesians 4:1b I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
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